Gun-carriage.



E. SCHNEIDER.

GUN CARRIAGE. APPLICATION FILED 113.14, 191s.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

2 BEEETSSHEET 2.

cuLUMBIA PLANQQRAPH co/wAsx-llNaToN, n. c.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, or LE canuzor, raANcE.

GUN-CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1s, 1914.

Application led February 14, 1913. Serial No. 748,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGNE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance7 and resident of Le Creuzot,1 France, have invented new and useful Improvements in or VRelating to Gun-Carriages, which is vfully set.

forth in thefollowing specification.

This invention relates to gun carriages of the kind set forth in the specification of my application for British Patent No. 7 ,265 of 1912.

According to the present invention, the frame which serves as the trail extension is divided into three elements, viz a base connected to the trail body by a longitudinally arranged pivot, and two cranked members adapted to serveat-will either as shafts for the draft animal or as stays to effectively support the carriage when the gun is firing at extreme training angles. A partof each of the shafts is arranged at an angle to the main portion of the shaft and ispivoted to the base of the frame in such a manner that when the shafts are angularly displaced they describe paths corresponding to the surfaces of cones. The shafts canbe'locked at will in various` displaced positions.- By these means, while constantly preserving absolute rigidity of the frame in its position of use, it is possible to bring the free extremities of the shafts Jtogether while at the same time lifting them from the ground without causing the trail body to pivot around the wheel axle. Various positions relatively to the plane of the base of the frame can be given to the free extremities of the shafts. For example there can be obtained the extreme separatedpositionA for use when the gun is firing, an intermediate position for direct harnessing. to a' draftranimal, and finally a position'in which the shafts are completely brought together. for connecting toa limber.

The shafts instead of being pivoted directly to the base of the frame, may be pivoted in sleeves which are themselves movable in the said base, the axes of the sleeves inthe base .and those of the shafts inthe sleeves not being in alinement. According as the shafts and the sleeves are rotated together orV the sleeves are rotated alone, a lifting and a simultaneous approach of the outer ends of the shafts can be produced in the first case while in the second case a lifting of the shafts but no movement toward each otherV can be produced. It will be seen that by rotating the sleeves alone a variation of the field of vertical tire of the gun can be obtained without altering of the distance l apart of the shafts.

In order that the said invention may be Vclearly understood and readily carried into elfect I willV describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, 1n VwhichzV Figurel is a longitudinal section taken approximately on the line A-A of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan having a part in section taken on the line B-B of Fig. 3. Fig. 3- is aview similar to Fig. l with a part in section on the line C-C of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail crossfsection on the line D-D of Fig. 2.V Figs. 5 to 7 illustrate a modification of the invention in which Fig. 5 is a section taken approximately Aon the line E-E of `Fig. A6. Fig. 6 is a plan, and Fig. 7 a view similar to Fig. 5 but with the shafts in a different position.

In these figures a designates the trail body carried by theV axle p. The trail extension which is in the form of a frame is hinged to the trail body a. In accordance with the present improvement this frame comprises a base Zn provided on its front face with a trun- Y .nion 7c rotating in a corresponding bearing a in the trail body. In or on the extremities of the base Z7 the two shaftsY (which also serve as stays) are journaled. These shafts are cranked and thus comprise an element or ybranch 79 engaged in or on the extremities of the base Z9 and an element or branch b2 arranged at an angle to the part Z2.

In the example illustrated in Figs. l to l, the branches b of the shafts 5, b2 are pivoted in bearings b3 formed at the lateral extremities of the base Z). The shafts b', h2 and the base b of the frame can be rendered integral or independent at will. With this object slots r, r', and sare in the example shown formed in the branches and in the bearings 793 in which the shafts are pivoted. rIhe slots r or r are caused to register with thel slots s and a pin or key 25 or a spring bolt is passed therethrough, so thatthe shaft and the base yare rigid. Assuming that the trail body a and the gun carriage as a whole remain fixed, it will be noted that it is possible by allowing'the pivot k of theframe which has been rendered rigid to turn freely Vin the socket a of the trail body a, to. allow the other hand the shafts b b2 are rendered independent of the base of the frame by withdrawing the pin t, it is possible by rotating the shafts in thebearings b3 to cause the shafts b2 to describe paths corresponding to the surfaces of cones. Thus starting from the position I shown in firm lines in Figs. l and 2 the shafts can be caused to assume the position II shown in broken lines or the po` sition III also shown in broken lines in Fig. Q. In the position II the shafts, which are again locked by the insertion of the pin t, are separated a suitable distance for the direct harnessing of a draft animal.Y Finally in the position III the axes of the branches b2 of the shafts are in the same plane as in position I but their extremities are brought together so that they can be united and serve as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2 for connecting to a limber.

In the example illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 the extremities of the shafts are constituted by trunnions which are eccentric relatively to the bearings b4 capable of rotation in the sockets b3 formed at the lateral extremities of the base of the frame. The trunnions Z9 can at will be rendered integral with the sleeves b4 and the sockets b3 in two dierent positions by means of keys 2 or they can be disconnected from the sleeves and the sockets. When the parts have been entirely connected the frame is perfectly rigid but is still able to turn in the trail body a on the pivot 7c. It is therefore possible, as in the preceding example to form a rigid frame with branches separated to a greater or less extent for resting on the ground, for direct harnessing to a draft animal, or for connecting to a limber. If the elements b', b4. 3 are disconnected, it is possible, by 1'0- tating the sleeves b4 only, for example by means of worms and worm wheel gearing '0, m operated by hand wheels y, to raise the rear ends of the shafts relatively to the trail body, as shown in Fig. 7 which depresses the rear of the carriage and thereby renders it possible to obtain an increased elevation of the gun. This result is obtained without changing the distance between the shafts and the width of the supporting base and consequently without. affecting the maximum traverse of the gun.

With the parts in the position represented in Fig. 7, it is possible lto displace the shafts b2 alone relatively to the sleeves 64 which are held fast by the worm gearing relatively to the sockets b3, the same means as described in the preceding example (Figs. 1 to 4;) being preferably employed.

The improved gun carriage possesses the advantage of furnishing a wide field for the vertical and lateral movements of the gun while at the same time retaining the advantages of ordinary gun carriages. The

trail body a always forms a direct and rigid support for the upper carriage a in which the gun is trunnioned. The usual three points of support are obtained for the upper carriage-these points being the two wheels and the trail body. The resultant of the forces in firing the gun necessarily passes through the pivot 7c between the said trail head and the trail' extension. The joint 7c between the extension which is anchored in the ground by spades carried by the shafts and the trail body a enables the carriage and the trail to assume a Fcorrect position notwithstanding an uneven state of the ground.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United 'States is l. In a gunV carriage, the combination of a trail body, Aa trail base having a pivotal connection with said body, bearings carried by said base and arranged at an angle to said pivotal connection, and shafts adjustable in said bearings.

2. In a gun carriage, the combination of a trail body, a trail base having a pivotal connection with said body, bearings carried by said base and arranged at an angle to said pivotal connection, shafts adjustable in said bearings, and means for retaining said shafts in adjusted position.

3. In a gun carriage, the combination of a trail body, a trail base having a pivotal connection with said body to permit said base to be swung about an axis lying in the direct-ion of travel of the carriage, bearings carried by said base and arranged at an angle to said vpivotal connection, and shafts adjustable in said bearings.

4. In a gun carriage, the combination of a trail body, a trail Vbase having a pivotal connection with said body to permit said base to be swung about an axis lying in the direction of travel of the carriage, bearings carried by said base and arranged at an angle to said pivotal connection, shafts adjustable in said bearings, and means for retaining said shafts in adjusted position.

5. In a gun carriage, the combination of a trail body, a trail base having a pivotal connection with said body, bearings carried by said base, and adjustable shafts each having one of its ends rotatable in one of said bearings, the other lends of said shafts being adapted to describe substantially a circle when adjusted.

6.Y In a gun carriage, the combination of a trail body, a trail base having a pivotal con* nection with said body, bearings carried by said base, adjustable shafts each having one of its ends rotatable in one of said bearings, the other ends of said shafts being adapted to describe substantially a circle when adjusted, and means for retaining said shafts in adjusted position.

7. In a gun carriage, the combination of a.

`of said bearings.

8. In a gun carriage, the combination of a trail body, a trail base having a pivotal con@ neetion With said'body,

said base, adjustable shafts each having one of its ends arranged ecoentrically .invone of said bearings, and means for adjusting said shafts.

9. In a gun carriage, the combination of a trail body, a trail base having a pivotal conneetion with saidbody, bearings carried by said base, adjustable shafts each having one of its ends arranged eecentrieally in one of bearings carried by.

saidv bearings, means for adjusting said shafts, and means for retaining the shafts in adjusted positions.

l0. In a gun carriage, the combination of a trail b0dy,'a Vtrail base having a pivotal connection with said body, bearings carried by said base, and adjustable shafts each hav- Ving one of its ends arranged at an angle to the -main portionthereof and mounted in one of said bearings. Y j In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two Vsubscribing Witnesses. v

f EUGNE SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

, HANsoN C. Coxn, Y

ROBERT DE PERELINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five dents each,V by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, ID. C. l 

